The Colonies Come of Age Obj: Analyze the economic relationship between England and the American colonies during the late-16 th and 17 th centuries.

Mercantilism Mother nation with colonies increases wealth by obtaining gold, silver, and raw materials to create a FAVORABLE BALANCE OF TRADE Favorable BofT – Exports outnumber imports WITHIN THE EMPIRE

Navigation Acts – Laws to regulate colonial trade (1651-) Enumerated (listed) products could only be traded with England Some goods had to stop in England before going elsewhere ¾ of all ships’ crews had to be Brit/Am Colonial/Brit ships must be used Colonists forbidden from manufacturing certain items

Navigation Acts Shipbuilding boom Smuggling Benefactors – Br exporters, Am producers of raw materials, Eng shippers, Brit navy Short end of the stick – workers, import companies, entrepreneurs

Navigation Acts Pos – Seriously?!! There are none! (see primary source to argue) Neg – no selling on open mkt –Low wages to keep prices low –Restricts trade –Stunts colonial economic growth

Reaction “The lawes of England doe not reach America.” Smuggling, ignoring laws Sir Edmund Andros appointed Post-Glorious Rev –Salutary Neglect

Salutary Neglect Brit bureaucracy has no central colonial managing dept As long as $$ keeps flowing, Brits don’t closely supervise Am activities Feeling of self-gov’t develops in colonies LITTLE SUPERVISION OR ENFORCEMENT!

“The time may come when the colonies may become populous and with the increase of arts and sciences strong and politic, forgetting their relation to the mother country, will then confederate and consider nothing further than the means to support their ambition of standing on their own legs.” Member of Parliament, 1707